I had to do it

I was a Rachel Ray virgin until tonight. I've watched enough of her show to know that she annoys me, but she always seems to be cooking up something tasty and she's so darn quick and perky in the kitchen. No, I did not buy one of her cook books or magazines, but I did, however, copy a recipe from someone else's magazine. I am now a fan of her food (but her voice still irritates me). Without further ado, I give you...

Smashed Super Skins with Steak-and-Pepper Hash

4 large starchy potatoes, such as Idaho
Salt
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
One 1 lb. sirloin steak, no more than 1/2 in. thick, trimmed and thinly sliced into pieces abotu 3 in. long and 1/4 to 1/2 in. wide.
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 poblano chile peppers (or red bell peppers, for less spiciness), seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 to 3 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 c. sour cream or reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 c. milk, depending on how soft you like your mashers
One 10 oz. package shredded sharp cheddar cheese


1. Cut the unpeeled potatoes into large chunks. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover the pot, add salt to season and continue cooking the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Place a small saucepan over low heat and add about 1 Tbsp. of the oil (eyeball it), the butter, garlic and scallions. Let the mixture melt together and infuse. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper, then add a Tbsp. of oil. The oil will smoke - don't freak out; just add the meat and start searing it. Brown the strips on all sides, then hit the steak with some Worcestershire sauce.
4. Push the meat to one side of the skillet and add another Tbsp. of oil, then the peppers and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and toss them until the edges sear, another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the meat and veggies together. Add the thyme and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, keeping everything moving around like a stir-fry. Turn off the heat and squeeze the juice from the lime wedges over the steak and veggies. Taste and season.
5. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the hot pot to evaporate some of the liquid. Add the reserved garlic and scallion mixture to the potatoes along with the sour cream and start smashing away with a masher. Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of milk to get the potatoes to the desired consistency, then mash in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pile up the mashed super skins in a bowl and top with steak hash.

My Notes: I used 7 red gourmet potatoes instead of Idaho's and I used red and green bell peppers instead of poblano's. The sweetness of the red bell peppers was a great compliment to the savory potatoes. I was all out of thyme so I left it out and didn't even miss it. I served this dish with a light side salad. The meal turned out great and my husband loved it as much as I did. Success! Thank you, Rachel Ray.